Occupant comfort in a motor vehicle can be enhanced by regulating the temperature of the seating surfaces in the passenger compartment. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,930 discloses a system in which thermally conditioned air discharged from the vehicle's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is routed through passages in the vehicle seats. And the U.S. Pat. No. Re. 38,128 discloses a system in which Peltier thermoelectric (TE) devices selectively heat or cool cabin air for delivery to seat passages. Alternately, the TE devices can be configured to receive air discharged from the HVAC system for improved transient control of seat temperature.
Ideally, seat temperature regulation in a vehicle should be performed automatically (that is, in a way that does not require the occupant to select a temperature control setting for the seat) and consistent with occupant comfort considerations. The present invention is directed to such a control methodology.